Anthony Fauci: We’ve Got to Get the ‘Entire World Vaccinated’

Dr. Anthony Fauci, who has insisted people should continue to adhere to stringent public health measures even after getting vaccinated, said the Chinese coronavirus will remain a threat, which is why officials need to ultimately get the “entire world vaccinated.”

Speaking to NPR’s Fresh Air, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director emphasized that getting the majority of the population vaccinated remains a key objective in the battle against the virus. At the same time, officials must “double down on the public health measures of uniform wearing of masks, physical distancing, avoiding congregate settings — particularly indoors.”

But such drastic measures, he said, should also extend globally.

“You’ve got to be able to get — with the help of the developed world — the entire world vaccinated,” he said, according to NPR.

“As we allow this infection to exist to any degree in any part of the world, it will always be a threat. So we’ve got to approach this the way we approach smallpox, the way we approach polio, and the way we approach measles and other devastating global outbreaks,” he continued.